The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, faced intense scrutiny from the Senate on Tuesday over the disappearance of 3,907 assault rifles and pistols from the Nigeria Police Force’s armoury as of January 2020. Lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s explanations, insisting on a full account of the missing weapons.
Egbetokun appeared before the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) to respond to an audit query from the Auditor-General for the Federation (AuGF) regarding the loss of firearms and ammunition across police formations in Nigeria. However, the committee found his responses unsatisfactory.
According to Olu Samuel Godwin, a representative of the AuGF, a 2019 audit review of the police’s arms movement register, monthly returns of arms, and ammunition records revealed troubling discrepancies. The report indicated that as of December 2018, a staggering 178,459 firearms were unaccounted for, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles.
The audit further disclosed inconsistencies in police records. While official documents from the Force Armament Department at Force Headquarters showed that the 21 Police Mobile Force Squadron in Abuja did not report any missing firearms, another schedule from the same department revealed that 46 firearms had gone missing between 2000 and 2019.
In response, the police attempted to account for missing rifles dating back to 1998 but could only provide satisfactory answers for 15 out of the 3,907 missing weapons flagged in the audit report.
When pressed for more details, the police requested a closed-door session, but the Senate Committee firmly rejected the plea. The force then asked for additional time to conduct a thorough investigation and report back to the Senate.
With growing concerns over the implications of the missing arms on national security, the Senate has vowed to hold the police accountable until a comprehensive explanation is provided.
Comments